Eve, Eve, Eve

It's clear that Milton is not a feminist. Eve doesn't listen to her husband and tries to be wise and look what happens! The fall of humanity. And Adam only joined in because he loved her and was bound to her for life-good man. He knew what he was sinning when he bit the apple while Eve had reasoned herself out of guilt beforehand. Strangely my favorite character in this reading is Satan. Milton's language at describing the serpent and the way he carried himself was appealing. By the end of book 9, he was the only character who didn't change. Adam and Eve were bickering and blaming one another, and Adam was winning the argument. Eve's defense of herself isn't that she was trying to do a good thing but that Adam wasn't in control enough of her. Adam's defense was that he was too trusting of his wife. This portrayal is clearly favorable of men over women which has been typical in most literature since the dawn of time. Milton goes back to the reason why women are lower then men-they caused the fall. His work is beautiful-full of poetry and wonderful descriptions. I disagree with his portrayal of women, but I do think it's interesting how he in a way very comically describes (stereotypically)both genders post fall. Eve's first reaction was to win her love over through intelligence and have control while Adam wanted to have sex right away. Bits of that stereotype are still relevant today. I don't like how Milton portrays females, especially pre-fall; however it is typical of the time and hasn't changed too much even in today's culture.